I saw this video on youtube about a group in Bangkok who were (and are) dealing with this same issue. From what I could tell most uses of Buddha's image and name are disrespectful. It seems from their standpoint that Buddha is meant for only the utmost respect and even using the Buddha's name is not ideal.

I think the karmic result of disrespecting the Buddha, one will find it hard to meet Buddhist teachings, Teachers and even if one listens to the dharma one will develop wrong views towards the dharma. Spiritual progress will be extremely hard for us. Also out of deep ignorance we have this behaviour towards the Buddha, we will be ignorant in future lives and conduct actions that creare even more ignorance in us.

I can see both sides of this issue. I will openly admit that I (origianlly) came from the "DIY" school of Dhamma practice, and that over time I've naturally moved towards a more traditional stance. Being mindful of not pointing feet twoards Buddha statues, not discussing worldy matters in front of them, being respectdul towards them are not just great practices in mindfulness but great practices in a quality I definitely lack and that I think most of us do: humility. Treating these statues respectfully and in a manner we're unaccustomed to are huge blows to the ego and excellent for Dhamma.

On the other hand, there can be an awful lot of discouragement attached to abiding too closely to traditional idea of respecting Buddhist images too. One of my friends has a Tibetan style Buddha tattooed on his leg. He was in the grocery store a few weeks ago and was reprimanded by an elderly Chinese woman for being disrespectful and not having the tattoo on the upper part of his body. He told me the story later and commented how he was fairly certain that "Buddha wouldn't care where the tattoo was" (I neglected to mention that in some Theravadin circles ANY Buddha tattoo might be problematic). To him it is a constant reminder of, as has been discussed, his highest ideals. To the Chinese lady it was an affront to those same ideals. It's especially tough as, barring surgery, he can't really fix the situation.

This is one of those topics that's very much in the grey area of culture and religious tradition, and while there are some uses that are obviously one thing or the other (a lot of products on theworsthorse.com spring to mind), I think much of this territory needs to be navigated by the living part of the Buddhist tradition (i.e. all of us.)

Sorry to revive a dead thread but I would like to know exactly what it means by "pointing feet". I go to a Dhamma talks where Theravada bhikkhus speak. I can't sit cross-legged the whole time without serious pain so I bring my knees up towards my chest and hug them or fold my legs so that both of them are pointing in one direction. I try not to point my feet at anyone when doing this but this is really impossible because the feet will point at things on their path to their resting place and when resting they will be pointing at someone if I'm surrounded by people. Does this count as pointing feet or does pointing feet mean physically and intentionally lifting one's leg up and using it to gesture towards a specific object? I do hope it's the latter...

There is is this popular place in Paris called the Buddha Bar, where basically people drink alcohol and eat in front of a big Buddha statue. I can't help but find this disrespectful, especially towards Buddhist values. The Buddha statue is just there for exotism...

The story of Venerable Sāgata is relevant. When he became intoxicated, he lay down with his feet pointing towards the Buddha. This was the occasion for the laying down of the rule for monks not to take even a drop of alcohol.

The next day, when Sāgata went for alms, he was invited to various houses, where the inmates plied him with intoxicating drinks. So deep were his potations that on his way out of the town he fell prostrate at the gateway. The monks carried him, and at the monastery they laid him down with his head at the Buddha’s feet, but he turned round so that his feet lay towards the Buddha. The Buddha pointed out his condition to the monks, using it as an example of the evil effects of liquor; and he made this the occasion for the passing of a rule against the use of alcohol. Vin.iv.108f.; the story: is also given as the introduction to the Surāpāna Jātaka (J.i.360 ff.) which, too, was taught on this occasion; cf. AA.i.178f.